Chapter 2: Seperate The People From The Problem

Chapter 2: Seperate The People From The Problem

1. All negotiators are human and can become offended, tired, vengeful, tied to their   positions thanks to E G O.

   • They might confuse their own perceptions of the world with objective reality .

2. In most cases, negotiators have an interest in preserving personal relations with each other   because they will often repeatedly deal with each other

3. Realize that your own perceptions and fears color your impressions of the other side’s actions and motives.

4. Make sure both sides are involved in the negotiations at every stage

   • they will feel as if they are making the decision for themselves and not being dictated to.

5. Small symbols and tokens of goodwill (a kiss, a rose, a written apology, etc) can carry a disproportionate amount of significance, so use them.

6. It is also frequent to have misunderstandings between people, especially when they are from different cultures with different values and languages.

7. Create a smaller subgroup of chief negotiators from both sides to meet in private.

   • It helps enormously for negotiators to become friends or to at least offer some gift or friendly gesture to the other side before talks begin.